Plateau, the northern state of Nigeria is becoming a battleground between Christian farmers and radicalized herdsmen.
The militant Fulani herdsmen have been chasing Christian farmers since 2017. They lead the community to hunger and death through their cruel attacks and kidnappings for ransom. Amnesty International Nigeria in 2017 reported the crisis as a clash between herders and farmers, but locals tell it is a genocide, land grabbing, and jihad on Christian farmers by Fulani militants.
The Irigwe National Youth leader, Ezekiel Bini, told ICC that no help is coming from the Nigerian government. “Also, the U.S. government is not helping persecuted Christians in Nigeria,” said Bini.
Bini told that his people want to farm to feed IDPs who were displaced as a result of a series of attacks by the Fulani. He said they farm 87 hectares of land, but without securing the farm Fulani will destroy it and graze their cattle on the farm. He said that more than five hundred will benefit from the farm produce if well harvested, reports ICC.
In 2020, Christians gathered to farm 250 hectares of maize and soya beans, using hoes to plow the ground in the villages of Ancha, Hukke, and Rotsu but it was all destroyed by the Fulani militants. “We don’t have money to secure the farm after spending on the seeds and other farming materials,” said Nuhu Bitrus Ngah, a Christian rights activist who is now facing threats by Fulani militants. He said the militants destroyed another 120 hectares of land this year without the government coming to the aid of the persecuted Christians.
House of Parliament leader Musa Agah, representing the Bassa/Jos North Federal constituency, condemned the atrocity of farms but did not render any form of assistance to persons affected, locals told. Agah said in a Motion of Urgent Public Importance that there has been an increase in cases of cutting and destruction of farmlands in Rigwe Chiefdom of Bassa LGA and other communities within the constituency.